The Path to Regaining Izzah (Dignity and Honor)

Enabling oneself to receive divine guidance begins with striving to remove the obstacles that prevent one from receiving it. Allah, Exalted is He, says: “You cannot guide whom you love, but Allah guides whom He wills, and He knows best those who are guided” (28:56).

Some obstacles take root in the heart and become so firmly established that they stand between a person and the truth. The verse that follows gives an example: “They say, ‘If we were to follow the guidance with you, we would be snatched away from our land’” (28:57).

They justified their refusal to follow the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, by claiming that people would seize them, drive them from their homeland, take them captive, and harm them. They imagined that following divine guidance would provoke their enemies’ hostility, deprive them of support, and expose them to poverty and ruin. This is a superficial view, arising from a heart untouched by faith — a heart that has yet to recognize the Creator, the greatness of His power and authority, and the true nature of existence and life.

Fear of change, the loss of security and stability, or the prospect of hardship and poverty can become an obstacle to guidance. When such fear takes hold, it can stand between a person and the truth. Today, some people’s hearts tremble in the face of anti-Muslim campaigns and the threats that accompany them. The very blessing Allah has bestowed upon them — faith and Islam — can come to seem to be, in their eyes, a source of misery and fear. They fear their opponents’ hostility and schemes, united efforts against them, economic pressure, financial hardship, and other forms of intimidation and restriction. As a result, some conceal their faith, while others embrace a path intended to please their opponents in the hope of finding safety and protection. Allah, the Exalted, says: “You see those in whose hearts is a disease hastening toward them, saying, ‘We fear that a misfortune may befall us’” (5:52).

Such fears are illusions that can gradually come to seem real and, over time, shape a person’s beliefs and actions. Allah, The Glorified and Exalted, dispels these illusions by reminding them of His favor and the security He has granted: “Have We not established for them a secure sanctuary to which the fruits of all things are brought as provision from Us?” (28:57). If a person were to lift the veil of illusion and reflect on their own circumstances, they might ask: “Who has guaranteed my security and provided for me up to this very moment?” They would then recognize that Allah, The Glorified and Exalted, is the One who bestows blessings and graciously provides for all creation. He is The Most High, The Most Great. Allah, The Exalted, says: “Whatever blessings you have are from Allah. Then, when hardship touches you, to Him alone you cry out for help. Yet when He removes the hardship from you, a group of you immediately associate others with their Lord” (16:53–54).

What, then, is the essence of the problem?

It is the loss of the dignity and strength that come through Allah. Dignity (Izzah) means honor, strength, and protection from harm and humiliation. Those with a superficial outlook fail to understand the true balance of power. They do not recognize that all power and dignity belong to Allah. True security comes from holding firmly to Allah, remaining steadfast in following His guidance, and placing one’s trust in Him. Fear that drives a person to abandon the truth and throw themselves into the embrace of those who oppose them does not lead to security. Rather, it becomes an obstacle to guidance. Allah, The Exalted, says: “If Allah supports you, none can overcome you. But if He forsakes you, who is there that can help you after Him? And in Allah let the believers place their trust” (3:160).

Allah, The Exalted, also says: “Let not their words grieve you. Indeed, all honor and might belong to Allah. He is The All-Hearing, The All-Knowing” (10:65). The meaning of this verse is as though the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, were saying: “How can I not grieve when the polytheists act arrogantly toward us and threaten us, while they possess power and strength?” The answer is that their power is as good as nothing, for it is limited and fleeting. True honor and might belong to Allah, who sent you. Thus, the words “Indeed, all honor and might belong to Allah” explain why grief ought to be dispelled. Any power used to oppose someone whom Allah intends to support is bound to be defeated and overcome. Allah, The Exalted, says: “Allah has decreed: ‘I will surely prevail, I and My messengers.’ Indeed, Allah is All-Powerful, Almighty” (58:21).

This is more than a statement intended to reassure the heart; it is a reality that underlies the order of the universe and its forces. Whoever follows Allah’s guidance takes refuge in an unshakable stronghold, where they can neither be harmed nor overcome. Consider the example of Prophet Lut, peace be upon him. Allah, The Exalted, says: “He said, ‘If only I had the strength to resist you, or could take refuge in a mighty support’” (11:80). The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “May Allah have mercy on my brother Lut. He indeed took refuge in a mighty support — Allah, The Exalted.”

Dignity through Allah is inseparable from trust in Him, reliance upon Him, and holding firmly to Him. It strengthens the heart and instills a sense of spiritual ascendancy, along with the certainty that Allah’s power to punish is severe, His punishment is near, and His promise will come to pass. This spiritual ascendancy lifts a person above fear and dependence on anyone other than Allah. It gives them certainty that Allah’s religion is the truth and that their honor and dignity are blessings bestowed by The Almighty, The All-Wise. When Musa (pbuh) faced the magicians of Fir‘awn, Allah, The Exalted, said: “Musa felt a fear within himself. We said, ‘Do not fear. Indeed, you will have the upper hand’” (20:67–68). How, then, could a believer not feel this spiritual ascendancy when Allah Himself is their Defender? Allah, The Exalted, says: “Indeed, Allah defends those who believe” (22:38).

For this spiritual ascendancy to bear fruit, it must be accompanied by virtues such as humility. Allah, The Exalted, says: “The servants of the Most Merciful are those who walk upon the earth humbly” (25:63). It also requires turning away from vain talk and the words of the ignorant. Allah, The Exalted, says: “When they hear vain talk, they turn away from it and say, ‘We have our deeds, and you have yours. Peace be upon you. We do not seek the company of the ignorant’” (28:55). Another virtue is refraining from hastening the punishment of wrongdoers. Allah, The Exalted, says: “So do not be impatient concerning them. We are only counting out their days” (19:84). Patience and reliance upon Allah are equally essential. Allah, The Exalted, says: “Say, ‘Nothing will ever befall us except what Allah has decreed for us. He is our Protector. And in Allah let the believers place their trust’” (9:51).

The more fully servant fulfill their devotion to Allah, the greater their dignity and strength become. Devotion to Allah brings liberation, honor, spiritual ascendancy, and the freedom to strive toward the highest aspirations.

The practical path to attaining dignity and strength through Allah begins with establishing a firm conviction in the heart that Allah is sufficient and will protect those who rely upon Him. From this conviction grow sincere trust in Allah and reliance upon Him. This conviction is nurtured by reflecting deeply on Allah’s words and keeping their meaning present in the heart: “Is Allah not sufficient for His servant? Yet they threaten you with those they worship besides Him. Whoever Allah leaves astray, none can guide. And whoever Allah guides, none can lead astray. Is Allah not Almighty, the Lord of retribution?” (39:36–37).

One should return to these meanings often and keep them alive in the heart. The more deeply dignity and strength through Allah take root, the more a person is freed from fear, and the greater their confidence and insight become. Their judgments, resolve, and actions can then be guided by clarity and conviction. Allah, The Exalted, says: “Once you have made a decision, put your trust in Allah” (3:159).

At the foundation of this practice is the continual supplication to Allah to guide one to the truth, bless one’s actions, and make one a source of blessing for others. This includes reciting the supplication that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, used to make: “O Allah, Lord of Jibril, Mika’il, and Israfil, Creator of the heavens and the earth, Knower of the unseen and the seen, You judge between Your servants concerning that over which they differ. Guide me, by Your permission, to the truth regarding that over which people have differed. Indeed, You guide whom You will to a straight path.”

In this way, a servant seeks to be among those whom Allah guides. Mentioning these great angels in the supplication reminds us of the majesty of Allah, Glorified and Exalted, the Creator and Lord of these noble angels. Jibril is entrusted with conveying divine revelation, Mika’il with bringing rain, and Israfil with blowing the Trumpet. Together, their mention evokes three profound realities: what gives life to hearts, the means through which bodies are sustained, and the Hereafter toward which all creation is destined.